His preparedness for taking the charge of the county’s premiership and delivering his job appeared more visible with his intensified and dynamic engagements for greater national harmony and fix the country’s democratic trajectory. Staying away from 8000 kilometers since 2008, Rahman previously secured a long-lasting place in the heart of millions and positioned himself at the forefront of national politics through his pragmatic leadership. Rahman proved his leadership in guiding the party towards its historic victory in the 13th parliamentary election held on Thursday. Education and political engagement :Rahman completed his secondary education at Dhaka Residential Model College and higher secondary studies at Adamjee Cantonment College. In university Rahman got himself involved directly in politics and gained early experience in grassroots organizational activities and public engagement.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman -File photoBy G M Rajib HossainDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) – It was the night of 12 February, 2026. Yes, it’s the Tarique Rahman, the Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who actually has been the first elected premier by populist votes. Tarique Rahman, son of Independence Proclaimer and slain President Ziaur Rahman and three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, appears to be a true statesman through democratic elections. A natural politician, Tarique Rahman kept his party united, and its grassroots base continues to expand and solidify with mass support. While in exile, Tarique Rahman didn’t stop even for one day in struggle for realizing people’s rights.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has taken the oath as the prime minister of Bangladesh. President Muhammed Sahabuddin administered the oath around 4:15pm on Tuesday. The ceremony took place at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. More to follow...

JAMALPUR, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - A court here today sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a five-year-old girl in Dewanganj upazila of the district in 2017. The convict, Parvez alias Tempo, 19, son of Md Chhabar Ali of Patharer Char village under Dewanganj upazila of the district, was found guilty in the case. According to the prosecution, the incident took place on May 25, 2017, when the accused lured the minor girl, who was playing near her home, with an offer of litchi. Following the incident, the victim's mother filed a case with Dewanganj Police Station against Parvez. Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1, Jamalpur, pronounced the verdict after examining 11 prosecution witnesses and reviewing relevant documents.

The newly elected members of parliament from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party will not be taking oath as members of the Constitution Reform Commission. On Tuesday morning, ahead of the oath-taking ceremony at National Parliament, the party’s Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed formally announced the decision. The newly elected MP from Cox’s Bazar-1 said: “None of us have been elected as members of the Constitution Reform Commission, and it is not yet incorporated into the Constitution. According to the referendum, if the Constitution Reform Commission is formed, it must first be included in the Constitution. It must also be determined who will administer the oath to its members.”Salahuddin Ahmed added: “…Once it is constitutionally adopted in the National Parliament, the procedure for swearing in members of the Constitution Reform Commission can be established.

Tarique Rahman has been elected as the leader of the parliamentary party of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). On Tuesday, after 11:30am, the newly elected BNP MPs held a meeting at the parliamentary party room, where Tarique Rahman was chosen as the parliamentary party leader. The information was confirmed to the media by Shayrul Kabir Khan, a member of the party’s media cell. The newly elected members of the parliament (MPs) of the BNP have taken oath at the South Plaza of the National Parliament on Tuesday. After administering the oath to the newly elected MPs, the CEC will also swear in the members of the Constitution Reform Commission.

Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna. Photo : CA's Press WingDHAKA, Feb 17, 2024 (BSS) - Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here today. During the meeting, Tobgay thanked the Chief Adviser for holding a free, fair, peaceful and credible election at a critical time, said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing this afternoon. Tobgay arrived in Dhaka to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet to be formed this afternoon under the leadership of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman. Foreign Adviser M Touhid Hossain received him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The newly elected members of parliament from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will not take oath if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MPs refuse to do so as members of the Constitution Reform Commission, said Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdullah Muhammad Taher. He said they will attend the ceremony, but if the BNP MPs do not take the oath for the Constitution Reform Commission, Jamaat’s newly elected MPs will not take any oath. Earlier, BNP's Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the newly elected members of parliament from the BNP will not be taking the oath as members of the Constitution Reform Commission. The newly elected MP from Cox’s Bazar-1 said: “None of us have been elected as members of the Constitution Reform Commission, and it is not yet incorporated into the Constitution. According to the referendum, if the Constitution Reform Commission is formed, it must first be included in the Constitution.

Speaker of the Indian Lok Sabha Om Birla arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday to represent the government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh led by Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The Indian Air Force special aircraft carrying the Indian delegation landed at the Bangladesh Air Force airbase in Dhaka, a senior official told UNB. Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony as BNP is set to form the government with a landslide victory against an alliance led by Jamaat-NCP. UK Minister Seema to attend Bangladesh govt’s swearing-in ceremony"Delighted to speak with Tarique Rahman. Leaders of other South Asian countries will also join the swearing-in ceremony.

NEW DELHI, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - India is discussing age-based restrictions with social media companies, following Australia's move to ban under-16s from popular platforms, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday. "This is something which has now been accepted by many countries that age-based regulation has to be there," Vaishnaw told reporters at the AI Impact Summit. "Right now we are in a conversation regarding deepfakes, regarding age-based restrictions with the various social media platforms and... what is the right way to go about this," he said. Australia in December enforced a ban that required TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and a host of other top social media services to remove accounts held by young teens, or face heavy fines. India already last week tightened rules regulating artificial intelligence, requiring social media platforms to clearly label AI content and comply with takedown requests by authorities within three hours.

MUMBAI, India, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - India's Adani Group said Tuesday it plans to invest $100 billion by 2035 to develop "hyperscale AI-ready data centres", a boost to New Delhi's push to become a global artificial intelligence hub. The announcement comes as India hosts a five-day global AI summit that will see deliberations over issues ranging from job disruption to child safety. The $100 billion investment would catalyse an additional $150 billion in spending across "server manufacturing, advanced electrical infrastructure, sovereign cloud platforms and supporting industries", the Adani Group said in a statement. "Together, this is projected to create a $250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem in India over the decade," the statement noted. "The Adani Group is also in discussion with other major players seeking to establish large scale campuses across India thereby further cementing its position as India's premier AI infrastructure partner," the statement added.

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court challenging the legality of the referendum held on February 12 and seeking the cancellation of the results announced on February 13. Supreme Court lawyer ABM Ataul Majid Touhid filed the writ with the relevant branch of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He said the petition may be heard next week by a High Court bench led by Justice Fatema Najib. Earlier, the referendum held on February 12 resulted in a victory for the proposed changes, with the “Yes” vote prevailing. A total of 48,074,429 voters cast ballots in favour of the changes, while 22,565,627 voters voted against them.

MOSCOW, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Russia repelled more than 150 Ukrainian drones overnight, Moscow's defence ministry told state media on Tuesday, as Kyiv steps up its counterattacks ahead of talks in Geneva. "Overnight, air defence forces destroyed 151 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, as well as over the Black and Azov Seas," the ministry reported. In Russian-annexed Crimea, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said two dozen drones were shot down during "one of the longest attacks in recent times". According to preliminary information, one child was wounded," he posted on Telegram. On Tuesday, the two sides are set to begin another round of diplomatic negotiations backed by the United States, after two previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House yielded no breakthroughs.

At least 14 killed in spate of attacks in northwest PakistanPESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Two bomb attacks and a gunfight between police and militants in northwest Pakistan killed at least 11 security personnel and three civilians, including a child, a security official said. "As a result, eight police and Frontier Corps personnel present inside the seminary were martyred and 10 others injured," he said. - Chinese targeted -Elsewhere, three police personnel and three militants were also killed during a search operation in Shangla district. Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan in recent years, but Chinese-funded projects have sparked resentment and their citizens have frequently come under attack. "In light of this, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the district police launched a joint operation today under a coordinated strategy."

The newly elected members of the parliament (MPs) of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have taken oath at the South Plaza of the National Parliament on Tuesday. The new cabinet is scheduled to take the oath in the afternoon at the South Plaza of the parliament, with the president set to administer the oath to the cabinet members. After administering the oath to the newly elected MPs, the CEC will also swear in the members of the Constitution Reform Commission. According to the Constitution, in the absence of the speaker or deputy speaker, the responsibility of administering the oath to new parliament members falls on the CEC. The Election Commission published the gazette of 297 elected MPs on February 13, following the February 12 elections.